Silence of Fire
by Maldolwen
Summary: A story about Jet and his troubled past. May really well end up in alternative events in Ba Sing Se. Rated M for violence.


**Author's note : I had some crazy idea about Jet and... well you'll see! Might end up in a Jetko story.**

**I don't own anything ! If Jet was mine I would keep him in a cage.**

The first time Smellerbee met Jet she had just lost her parents land to the fire nation. She had run away, not wanting to work for the enemy. He did fall from a tree just in front of her. He had at first started some non-sense about her being a spy. But after a short argument he understood that she was another victim of the war, just like him. But he understood that she was a girl only after she joined the camp and asked for taking her bath in private. At that time she was 11 and proud to be boyish. At first there were only her, Jet and Longshot. Longshot was still talking back then, he was still named Runze and she was still Pan.

While Smellerbee and Longshot were two children, happy of their new independence, of their big adventure as they were calling it, Jet was full of hate, and looking only for ways to fight back the fire nation. Of course he was way too young to join the Earth Kingdom Army. Longshot told Smellerbee that he HAD tried it when soldiers were nearby, but they had laughed at him and tried to take him to an orphanage. That was why the only ones they could trust were themselves.

A year after Smellerbee arrival they had three new recruits: Sneers, The Duke and Pipsqueak. They decided to use nicknames, so the fire nation couldn't relate them to their old friends and distant families. Jet said he didn't need to use this kind of defence, and that, as the leader, he was going to be fearless and be known and feared by his real name.

From what Smellerbee understood The Duke and Pipsqueak were related, and Pipsqueak gave the Duke his nickname because he was from a more successful part of their family.

After this time all this part of the Kingdom was under the Nation's control. No more people were running away. The villagers stopped fighting and accepted the domination of the Fire Nation.

Jet made them wowed that they would always fight for their freedom.

* * *

They had become used to follow Jet without asking questions, as he was the one with the more will to disturb the Nation's supremacy. At some point they captured a few nation soldiers. Jet and Longshot were choked to discover that one of them was from their village. He gave them his history, how he had been taken care of by the enemies after the destruction of their home town, how the fire nation was going to bring civilisation in their country and that he was glad to fight for them, rather than being like them "nothing more than a lost child playing war". They did have taken him in the camp to talk to him and Jet hadn't taken his weapons, since he thought of taking this man in their gang. So he heard these words and Longshot trying to argue with their former friend, resting on his bow.

"Longshot"

"Yes, Jet?"

"Kill him. Kill him before he contaminates you with his folly."

"But Jet, he is not a fire nation citizen! He was my neighbour, remember?"

"And now he is one of them. He betrayed his Kingdom and the memories of his family. Kill him!"

"No! I can't!"

"If you won't do it give me your bow."

Jet was already walking on him to take the weapon.

"If you kill him I'll tell the others what people were saying about your mother."

Jet stopped rather abruptly.

"You wouldn't dare!"

Then the soldier made the mistake to talk.

"You know I remembered Runze here clearly. But I couldn't get to remember you. Now I go it, you're the son of the slut. You know your real father is a fire nation's soldier, don't you? That means you should be one too."

At this moment Jet loosed it. He didn't know if it was what the guy called his mother or that he could only ask him to betray his kingdom or just that this familiar insult, questioning who he was, did only hurt more because he hadn't heard it for a while.

He didn't even bother with a weapon anymore, he used his bare fists against his enemy. When the soldier was only barely alive Jet finally cooled down. He got back on his feet and turned to Longshot.

"Do you have something to add? About my parents maybe?"

Longshot was in shock, he had never seen Jet display such violence. He denied in silence.

"Yeah that's right shut up, you talk way too much. In fact, me alive, you'll never speak again. Now you'll give me your bow and let me kill this guy. Remember that he is not a friend anymore. He never was."

Longshot didn't move when Jet took the bow from his hands. He looked away when Jet aimed and only heard the arrow pierce through his former neighbour.

Next day he was still shocked. Smellerbee worried when she didn't get any oral response from him. She even made him open his mouth to see if had lost his tongue. But that didn't make him laugh. Then she was worried enough to report it to Jet. Jet seemed lightly embarrassed. He went to talk to his old friend. The only guy that had talked to him back there. How could he have told him to never talk to him again?

"Hey Longshot"

Longshot turned and acknowledged Jet's presence by a little nod.

"Look I wasn't myself yesterday…"

Longshot gave him a look that said clearly that he knew him to well to buy this lie.

"I should never have told you to shut up like that…"

Longshot looked at the sky, his eyes watering. Was this really all he felt guilty about?

"Please talk to me again! You're my best friend dude. The only one who didn't tried to hurt me with words."

Now Longshot could take THIS order and become his former self again, trying to reassure Jet that all these insults were lies, of course he hadn't fire blood in him. Or he could listen to his own anger for once. He would never hurt Jet neither with words or acts, he wouldn't even dream of doing it. But he didn't want to be nice to him anymore.

He still wanted to be a Freedom Fighter, and acknowledged Jet as the best leader. He tried to say it all by putting a hand on Jet's shoulder and by looking at him in the eyes.

Somehow Jet understood. He also understood that his friend had decided to never again speak to him.

This evening Jet made a big announcement that Longshot did make a vow to remain silent until the Kingdom was free again. Smellerbee was the only one to understand that something was wrong, but Longshot only let her understand that something happened between him and Jet.

Jet knew he has only made things worse by telling his lies about Longshot's vow. Now the poor boy couldn't talk again without losing his honour. But really what choice did he have? He certainly couldn't tell the truth.

* * *

It was already a month later. Longshot was doing well, and somehow he didn't seem to have to talk to be understood and appreciated by his comrades.

But it was killing Jet. Longshot had been the only one he had felt free to talk to. Now every time he tried it Longshot was leaving or facing him with his silence. Most of the time Jet just backed off, still feeling a little guilty. But sometimes he lost it, he started to howl, to insult, really anything to heard Longshot's voice again.

This evening was one of the last sort. Longshot had taken it all with silence and stillness. A mere statue. It was driving Jet crazy.

Well he had to try something, right? Without any warning he kissed Longshot, desperate to have a reaction from his friend. Longshot broke the kiss only seconds after their lips had touched. "Come on you don't want to talk anymore, but we can still find a use for your tongue." Longshot kept his vow. He stepped back and, without a word, punched Jet in the face.

After that it felt awkward between them for a while, but Jet ended satisfied of his fellow fighter's silence, as long as he did that he was told to.

* * *

Jet had started to tease everyone. Girls, boys, peasants, merchants… They even suspected him to set traps for the nation's soldiers by promising sexual intercourses. Smellerbee only found it insulting that he had never tried anything on her.

She was happy to be of equal value in the band than the boys, but was a little disappointed that they only remembered that she was a girl when someone had to babysit The Duke.

Well Longshot was the exception. Their friendship was slowly moving to something more interesting. He hadn't said a word for more than a year now, but she could always guess exactly that he thought. They were very quiet about it but soon enough it became clear that they were a couple.

* * *

This day they were watching a Nation's camp. Probably fighters in their way to the front. They had a plan. They were to drop something in their food (who would notice a little stone falling from a tree, right into the pot?) and when they would all fall asleep Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot would take care of them. Jet was saying to the others that they didn't needed to be too many and that they could go back to the camp to make fire and start sleeping. In fact he didn't want another argument about their weakness when it came to slaughter men in their sleep.

They were just waiting the right time to act. Pipsqueak seemed the closest to the pot and was already aiming. But suddenly the guards were standing up as a bunch of people came right in the middle of the camp. At first Jet had fought about letting them be caught or killed, and going on with his plan. But then he heard it: "the avatar". He spotted a strange kid that matched the description every one had heard of the new avatar.

"Well" he thought to himself "time to be a hero". And he started the rescue.

**Any review would be appreciated ! :)**


End file.
